Runaway (Empire High Book 5) Page 2

  But I didn’t have any visitors. None of the nurses told me anyone was trying to reach me. Which meant my dad didn’t really have anything to worry about. Where would I go? Kennedy hated me. Isabella was trying to kill me. My friend Felix was in jail because of me. I looked down at where my ring once sat. Matt didn’t love me anymore.

  I had nowhere to go.

  And I was tired.

  I closed my eyes tight, wishing I could wake up from this hell.

  Everything hurt. Every single inch of my body. But nothing hurt as much as my heart. It felt like it was shattered in a million tiny pieces.

  I closed my eyes tighter.

  I was familiar with this feeling. I’d felt the same way when my mom passed away. And I’d felt it again when I lost Uncle Jim.

  It felt like…loss. Unsurmountable loss. I felt my tears trail down the sides of my face, falling into my hair.

  I couldn’t do this again. I just wanted to let go. Matt and Kennedy’s words swirled around in my head.

  “You’re just like Isabella.”

  “My life isn’t a fucking fairytale like yours, Brooklyn.”

  “I guess we’re both liars.”

  I’m a monster. A whimper escaped my throat.

  Why couldn’t it all be a dream? Why couldn’t I wake up?

  Chapter 4

  Monday

  “You need to eat,” the nurse said as she set down another tray of food beside the one I hadn’t touched from this afternoon.

  I didn’t bother responding. I’d already told her several times that I wasn’t hungry. A hunger strike probably was a good move at this point. But that wasn’t why I left all my food untouched. I just…wasn’t hungry. Not when my stomach was so twisted up inside.

  She wrote something down in a notebook.

  Screw you too. “Can I please have my phone now?”

  “We’ve already been over this. You don’t have a phone.”

  I hated this bitch. “Then can I please use your phone? Or the house phone? Or the phone wherever we are?”

  “That’s just not a possibility. Now make sure you eat every bite.”

  If I’d still had the IV cord I would have tried to strangle her with it. “Please,” I said.

  “See you in the morning.” She hurried away, ignoring my very reasonable request.

  All I ever saw were her and the two big nurses who liked to inject me with something whenever I misbehaved. Which I’d stopped doing, for the record. All I did was sit here all day. I eyed the food on the tray and then turned away from it.

  Each day that went by made me more and more hopeless.

  I sighed and stared at the white wall.

  Kennedy had been right. For just a few seconds I’d had everything. My life had seemed like a fairytale. But it had all been a façade. Kennedy was the one that had everything. Everything that I’d lost. She had a loving mother. Someone who was always on her side. An unconditional kind of love I’d never have again. I just wanted to go back home to Delaware. I wanted another chance to do everything differently.

  My life was no fairytale. Which meant Matthew Caldwell wasn’t my knight in shining armor. He wasn’t going to show up and save me. He’d always been good at not showing up when I needed him most.

  Chapter 5

  Wednesday

  Please, Matt. I’m sorry. Don’t leave me here. All I could feel was the wetness on my cheeks.

  I closed my eyes, praying to a God I didn’t believe in that this was all a terrible dream. I begged him to let me wake up from it.

  But there was no waking up.

  The scar on my stomach and the ring missing from my finger were both permanent reminders.

  I’m sorry I lied, Matt. I’m so sorry. Please save me.

  Chapter 6

  Thursday

  I was mad at Matt for leaving me at the Pruitts’ apartment when he knew they were dangerous. I was mad at him for not answering my calls before the surgery. And I was mad at him for not having my back.

  What was he even upset about, anyway?

  Isabella was the worst. No, she probably didn’t deserve to be covered in pudding. But it was funny.

  Or was he upset about my hanging out with James and Rob? I was trying to fix his friendship. Was he jealous? Was that it? Because that was ridiculous. I loved him and only him. He knew that. And just thinking about him being mad at me made me furious at him.

  I’d apologized to him immediately. And his response? That I belonged with the crazy Pruitts. That I was officially one of them. And that stung. I’d always thought he’d seen me for me. That my new last name didn’t define me. He’d been lying to me the whole time. All he saw when he looked at me was my last name.

  But just because I was mad didn’t mean I stopped loving him. My anger didn’t take away all the good memories we’d shared. And that we’d share again as soon as I got out of my cage.

  I was going to fix us. All I needed to do was get out of here. I sat up when the nurse came in with my food.

  She sighed as she saw my previous untouched plate.

  “I need to talk to my dad.”

  “Your father is a very busy man. You know this.”

  He hadn’t been busy a few days ago when he stole my kidney. And shouldn’t he have been recovering too? Probably in some fancy recovery center where they didn’t lock their patients in their rooms. If he had time to do all that, he certainly had time to talk to me on the freaking phone. “Please. Could you just call him and tell him I need to speak with him? Tell him it’s urgent.”

  “And what exactly is urgent?”

  The fact that you’re keeping me locked up in here. Although, I was pretty sure she was following my father’s orders. “It’s a private matter.”

  “I see. Well, I’m under strict instruction to not bother him with anything unimportant.”

  “It is important.” I was pretty sure him kidnapping me was illegal. Locking me up here? Stealing organs from me? It was very important. And he couldn’t hide from me forever in his apartment, even if there were a million rooms to hide in.

  “If you relay it to me, I’ll make sure he receives a message about it. But today’s not a good day.”

  I just gaped at her. Not a good day? He couldn’t even bother to take a message from me? Seriously? My kidney had saved his life. He at least owed me a conversation. “It’s just a quick phone call.”

  “All the arrangements had to be made immediately. Can you imagine how exhausted he is after the surgery and all that?” Her eyes grew round like she’d said too much.

  “All…what?” I asked.

  “If you’ll excuse me.”

  “What arrangements?”

  She hurried to the door.

  “Wait!” I yelled. “You can’t keep me here!” I jumped off the bed, but she pulled the door closed before I could make a run for it. “Let me out!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. “Someone help me!”

  But there was no answer.

  I banged on the door. “Can anyone hear me?”

  No response.

  I banged on the door harder. “Someone please help me!”

  But there was no response.

  “Someone help me,” I sobbed and let my body fall to the floor. I slammed my palm against the door. “Please.” I let my forehead rest against the door as I continued to hit it with my palms. Someone out there had to have a heart. Please.

  ***

  I was being lifted into the air. Someone was cradling me in their arms. I blinked but the room was pitch black.

  They set me down on my bed.

  “Brooklyn?” said a deep voice. A voice I recognized.

  “Miller!” I wanted to hug him and cry and scream for joy all at once. I’d needed a familiar face desperately. And it was like my prayers had been answered.

  “Shhh. I’m not supposed to be in here.”

  I pushed myself up into a seated position. “Miller, you have to get me out of here.” I tried to climb back off the bed but he put his hand down on my thigh.

  “I can’t.” His voice broke. “I’m sorry, Brooklyn, I can’t.”

  I swallowed hard. “What do you mean? I never gave my dad permission to do this. He can’t keep me locked up here. I want to go home. Please, you have to get me out of here.” I reached out for him in the darkness. He hissed when my hand collided with his shoulder. It sounded like he was holding back a cry of pain.

  Tears started welling in my eyes. There was only one reason why Miller would make that noise. And even though I couldn’t see his face in the darkness, I knew. I swallowed hard. “What did he do to you?” My dad had taught Miller a lesson recently. And he was only just finally healing. What had my father done to him now?

  “I’m fine,” he said. “I’m more concerned about you. I thought I heard you yelling earlier. But I had to wait to sneak in. Are you in pain?”

  He was always way more concerned about me than himself.

  “Just tell me where it hurts,” he said.

  I was in pain. But not from my surgery. My chest ached every day. My heart was breaking. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. “Everywhere.”

  He reached out and ran his fingers through my hair. “I’m going to go get the nurse, okay? She can give you something.”

  “No. Please don’t leave me.”

  “I’m not even supposed to be in here.”

  “Please. Don’t go.” I caught his hand before he had a chance to flee. And I felt it. I felt what I always felt when I was around him. This undeniable sense of comfort. And it had been so long since I felt safe that I started to cry.

  “Brooklyn.” His voice cracked.

  “Please just stay. For just another minute.”

  He squeezed my hand.

  And even though he had to leave…he stayed. Because he cared about me. Because Miller did have my back.

  “Just another minute,” I mumbled. I was finally tired. And a little hungry. It was like his hand in mine had restored me somehow. And I hoped to God he wouldn’t let go.

  Chapter 7

  Friday

  When I woke up, Miller was no longer sitting by my bed. And I had the strangest feeling that I’d imagined the whole thing. Just so I could finally sleep. I remembered all the times I’d snuck into Miller’s room at night when I was living with my dad. I couldn’t sleep in my room there. But I could always fall asleep in his arms. And he had always let me.

  I looked down at my hand that he’d been holding. If it was a dream…why had I dreamt of Miller instead of Matt? It was easy to fall asleep in Matt’s arms too. He was there for me after my uncle died. He’d held me as I cried. But he’d never been there for me when I was scared.

  I pulled my knees into my chest. Last night wasn’t a dream. If it was…certainly I would have dreamt of Matt. And besides, if it had actually happened…that meant Miller was here. Wherever here was. Which meant he might come back tonight to check on me. It was the only hope I had to hang on to.

  ***

  I had no idea what time it was. Not having a window in my room was driving me crazy. Or maybe I was already crazy…and that’s why I was locked up in here.

  I sighed and stared at the door. The nurse had already been by with breakfast and lunch, so she’d be by with dinner eventually. Not that I wanted any of it. I just wanted it to be nighttime again and for Miller to walk through that door.

  So I waited.

  And waited.

  The food came and went.

  I kept staring at the door, wishing for Miller to walk through it.

  But Miller didn’t come.

  Eventually, I switched the lights off.

  I was just beginning to think I really had imagined him coming when the door creaked open.

  I sat up in my bed. “Miller?”

  “Shhh,” he whispered as he closed the door.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. He was real. He was here. And I had a million questions for him. “Where are we? Is this a hospital or some recovery center or something? Did my dad hurt you again? Did you know he was going to take my kidney? Is that why you seemed surprised when I signed the contract? Where is my dad? Has he stolen other people’s organs? The nurse mentioned him making arrangements for something. What was she talking about?”

  “Move over, kid,” he said without answering any of my questions.

  I hated when he called me that. But I slid to the edge of my bed and smiled as he climbed in beside me. He lay down, resting his head next to mine. The warmth radiating off his body comforted me.

  “You’re shaking,” he said, looping an arm across me. “Are you cold?”

  I didn’t realize I had been shaking. But I immediately stopped when he put his arm around me. He was doing that thing again…where being close to him was making me relaxed and sleepy. But I couldn’t believe I’d just fallen asleep last night when I needed answers. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. “You didn’t answer any of my questions.”

  “I told you to read the whole contract. How do you think I got stuck in a job I can’t get out of?”

  He’d tried to warn me. And I was too foolish to listen. “Yeah. You did try to warn me.”

  “This is so fucked up.” He sighed. “I’m so sorry he did this to you.”

  “What did he do to you?”

  There was a long stretch of silence. “It’s not important, Brooklyn.”

  It was to me. I reached up and touched his face in the darkness.

  He cringed.

  “Turn the light on.”

  “It’s late,” he said. “How about you try to get some rest?”

  “I can’t possibly sleep right now. Please, just tell me why he hurt you. It’s not like me being in danger this time was in any way your fault. It was his.”

  “Mr. Pruitt is coming down here tomorrow. He can answer all of your questions.”

  “Down here? Where are we?”

  “Tomorrow, kid.”

  I slowly exhaled. It was nice to have a familiar face, even if I couldn’t actually see him. But he was being purposely evasive right now. “But…”

  “All you need to know is that you’re safe here. No one knows we’re here except for the nurses, Mr. Pruitt, and me.”

  “What about Matt?” I immediately regretted asking the question. I felt Miller’s arm tense around me.

  “Try to get some rest, okay?” He moved to get off my bed.

  “Wait.” I caught his arm. “Please don’t go. I won’t ask any more questions. Just…please stay the night.” It was a selfish thing to ask. Miller was already hurt. And if my dad caught him in here sleeping on my bed? I didn’t know what my crazy father would do.

  But it didn’t seem like Miller cared, because he lay back down.

  We were both quiet for a moment.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “About what my father did to you.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for his actions. You’re not him.”

  I swallowed hard.

  “Does it still hurt?” he asked.

  I was barely paying attention. I was focused on the fact that he just said I wasn’t like my father. I’d been desperate to hear those words ever since Matt said the opposite. I slid closer to him on the bed. For a second I paused, waiting to see what he would do. But he didn’t try to leave again. He just lay there. So I moved closer again and rested my head on his chest.

  His heartbeat was so steady. And soothing. I closed my eyes.

  Miller reached down and lightly touched my stomach. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “You didn’t answer any of mine either.”

  He laughed. “Please. Put my mind at ease.”

  “It doesn’t hurt as much when you’re here.” And that included my heart. When I was alone in this room all I could think about was it breaking in two. But when Miller was holding me? It was a lot easier to feel whole again.

  “You’re going to be the death of me, Brooklyn.” His hand moved to my back, holding me closer to him.

  I knew that meant that he cared. But I hated the phrase. I’d already experienced enough death. Miller saying it gave me a new goal though. I wasn’t just going to get out of here. I was going to get Miller out of here too. He said that there was no way out of my dad’s business. But I’d find a way. I owed him at least that. And thinking about saving him instead of myself made me feel a little stronger. Or maybe it was just his arms around me that gave me hope.

  Chapter 8

  Saturday

  This morning the nurse told me that it was Saturday. I’d been here for over a week. My dad had left me here alone to…what? Give me a chance to get over the fact that he was a kidney thief? Spoiler alert…it wasn’t working. If anything, that just pissed me off even more. I was never going to get over this. He’d pretended to care about me for months just so he could get an organ. He could not speak to me for the rest of my life and it wouldn’t be long enough. Honestly, I was hoping that was his plan. He’d gotten what he needed from me. So now he could just let me go. He would come today and say goodbye. Cast me away for good. Unless he needed another organ.

  I couldn’t wait to get out of here. Today he’d come and I’d tell him I was fine. That we were all good. No hard feelings. But it was time to part ways. I’d be professional and composed about it. I just wanted to put this all behind me.

  The door opened. I sat up in bed to greet my dad but…it was just the nurse again.

  She looked at my untouched food and sighed. “I’m going to have to suggest to your father that we send you to a rehab facility next.”

  “What? Why?” I didn’t want to go from one prison to the next.

  “You have anorexic tendencies.”

  Anorexic tendencies? That was a weird way to put the fact that I was too thoroughly depressed to find food appetizing. “I’m just depressed that my dad stole my kidney.”

  “Well, we can get a psychologist to come in and speak with you then. There’s pills for such things.”

  The last thing I wanted was to take prescription pills I didn’t need. I wouldn’t put it past my father to meddle with them and try to kill me or something. “I’m fine.”